XtraTime Web Desk: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today shifted the ODI match between India and West Indies which is set to be played in November from Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) to Trivandrum after the social media went furious on saving the Kochi turf with #SaveKochiTurf.

The turf of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi was refurbished last year for the FIFA U17 World Cups as per the world football governing body’s regulations. And according many people, the turf could be damaged if it is used for cricket.

As of now, the nation has only six FIFA-approved football grounds and JLN Stadium is one of them. After the U17 World Cup, the ground has recently hosted the matches of Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL) Season 4.

The move of saving the ground started after some football enthusiastic fans and journalists tweeted that the Kochi turf will be heavily affected if any cricket match happens on that pitch. After that Kerala Blasters star forward CK Vineeth was the first famous person who urged the authorities to not use the ground for playing a cricket match.

In the tweets he said, “For many different reasons, I feel this is wrong” and beside that while sharing his childhood memories of the co-existence of cricket and football in his life, he said “Effort and money has gone into the football pitch at the JN Stadium and I must implore the authorities that their work is not thrown away.”

Over the course of this week, I have read various reports that the turf at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium will be dug up to help facilitate the ODI cricket match between India and West Indies. For many different reasons, I feel this is wrong. #SaveKochiTurfpic.twitter.com/Y1RCm14Shd

In an interview I gave to a friend a few years ago, I spoke of how in my childhood, I played football on a ground where there were three or four cricket matches happening at the same time. I would dribble past a defender, and then maybe a batsman before going towards goal. — CK Vineeth (@ckvineeth) March 19, 2018

I believe that for sport to co-exist, it is important that they do not stop each other from growing. As a nation, we are fighting for success and to become better on so many fronts and a lot of time, effort and money has gone into the football pitch at the JN Stadium.

This picture was clicked two years ago, at a time when over a hundred workers came in for days on end. I have never met any of them, and could never thank them for what they continue to do, but I must implore the authorities that their work is not thrown away. — CK Vineeth (@ckvineeth) March 19, 2018

The JN Stadium is one of only six in India that are FIFA approved,a certification that will take immense effort to obtain again. When India has been known for being a ‘cricket crazy’ nation, is it really necessary to dig up a football pitch to play a cricket match? #SaveKochiTurf

The campaign got more backing from Indian football team’s captain Sunil Chhetri who also raised his voice to save the JLN stadium and said, “We football fans in India have small joys and reasons to be happy about. A proper football pitch is one of them.”

We football fans in India have small joys and reasons to be happy about. A proper football pitch is one of them. Let’s not snatch that away, even if it’s for a little while.#SaveKochiTurf — Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) March 20, 2018

An hour after Chhetri’s tweet, Kerala Blasters’ co-owner and legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar came out in support of the move and urged the Board to shift the ODI to Trivandrum from Kochi, beside that he also asked Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai to look into the matter.

Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily coexist. pic.twitter.com/rs5eZmhFDP

Urged Shri. Vinod Rai who has promised to look into the matter. Hoping that neither the cricket nor the football fans are disappointed. @BCCI@KCAcricket — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 20, 2018

Sachin’s opening partner and ATK co-owner and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly also stood beside the Master Blaster and asked BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to look into the mateer and not only that, he also mentioned “KCA has super cricket grounds.”